The Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP, President Byung-Seon Jeong) held the 146th Wednesday Forum on May 25. The theme was “Future Direction of the Mission-Oriented National Innovation Policy” to discuss an essential strategy and public-private cooperation plan to reorganize a mission-oriented, transitional and comprehensive STI policy.

Byung-Seon Jeong, president of KISTEP, said, “Recovering from the long pandemic of COVID-19 and preparing for a new leap forward, mission-oriented national innovation policy such as harmonization of S&T and social innovation to solve social challenges, and close connection between policies and systems have become even more important”.

△Byung-Seon Jeong, President of KISTEP

 △Prof. Sangwook Park, Department of Science Studies, SNU

Prof. Sangook Park (Department of science studies at Seoul National University), in his presentation, said, “A strategy to secure technological sovereignty is more urgent than anything else in a situation where global technological hegemony is in full swing.” While presenting the case studies of Mission-Oriented Innovation Policy (MOIP) in major countries, he suggested MOIP strategies and measures build a platform involving public, private, and citizens.

The panel discussion was led by Sehong Oh, Director general of the Office of National R&D Evaluation and Analysis, with the participation of Hyunsang Muk, CEO of Korea Drug Development Fund, Jaehoon Lee, professor of law at SungShin Women’s University, Inhwan Lee, Director General, Office of Policy at the National Research Council of Science & Technology, and Sang-Il Kim, Director of the Center for National R&D Evaluation of KISTEP.

△Hyunsang Muk, CEO, KDDF

CEO Hyunsang Muk said that, above all else, the ability to discover and define issues should be strengthened for mission-oriented R&D and suggested measures to resolve the gap between the government budget system and the R&D environment in the field.

 △Prof. JaeHoon Lee, SungShin Women’s University

To solve national challenges, Prof. JaeHoon Lee emphasized the importance of specific and systematic keyword-type national R&D program naming in STI policies. Also, he stressed that the government should prepare a differentiated research project management system.

△Dr. Inhwan LEE, Director General, Office of Policy, NST

Director General Inhwan Lee suggested changing the role of government-funded research institutes into public mission-oriented institutions linked to the technology field and operating them as mission-oriented R&D centers. He also emphasized the importance of improving the preliminary feasibility system to address social challenges in a flexible and timely manner.

△Dr. Sang-Il Kim, Director, Center for National R&D Evaluation, KISTEP

Sang-il Kim, Director of the Center for National R&D Evaluation, explained the importance of a process-oriented evaluation that can contribute to mission achievement rather than the performance-based reward/ punishment system as mission-oriented national R&D projects are expected to increase. He also argued that, given that mission-oriented national R&D projects can be carried out as long-term plans, a rolling program should be established to respond to changes in the technological and social environment surrounding the mission, and the ability to execute should be strengthened through periodic reviews.